Development top priority for UPA: Sonia Gandhi (Lead)

Lucknow, June 11 (IANS) Congress president Sonia Gandhi, on a visit to her Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh, Thursday said that development would top the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s agenda for the next five years. “We are not going to compromise with the issue of development as it will continue to remain on top (of the agenda) for our government,” Gandhi told a gathering of party workers at the Feroz Gandhi Degree College in Rae Bareli, some 80 km from here.

“We will make an all-out efforts to fulfil the promises made before the Lok Sabha polls. Our party will try its best to live up to the expectations of the public, who supported the Congress in reviving itself in the state,” she added.

Praising her son Rahul Gandhi, who is a party general secretary, for his campaign in various parts of the state during the Lok Sabha polls, Gandhi said: “Rahul’s hard work is definitely one of the main factors that contributed to the Congress victory in the state.”

“Our party’s performance, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, is a matter of pride. Victory of the Congress has made it clear that communal forces in the county have been defeated. Moreover, it also reflects that people overlooked the anti-incumbency factor,” she said.

The Congress president also assured that she will take necessary step to address the district’s power supply woes.

Sonia Gandhi’s daughter Priyanka called upon the party workers to continue to work for the expansion of the party.

“You (party workers) are very important. At the time of elections, you all worked very hard. Now you have to work with same strength to ensure development in the state,” Priyanka Gandhi added.